The Write Stuff for Left Handers

The Write Stuff for Left Handers

Smudging, scratchy letters and covered up writing are some of the problems we hear from left handers about their handwriting. Whilst many lefties have developed techniques to alleviate these issues, it can often cause writing strain. Since about 11% of the UK population are left handers, we felt it was time to offer some tips and advice. Essentially there are two solutions; adopting the correct writing position and choosing the correct pen.

Adopt a Good Writing Position

As a lefty, you push rather than pull when writing, causing your words to be covered as you write (with the obvious smudging). If you rotate the paper approximately 45 degrees clockwise, your elbow comes in and the hand drops under the writing line. This will be more comfortable and gives you the visual space as you write.

Do you sometimes hunch over your pen, with your fingers tightly pressed towards the end of the nib? This exasperates the problem as a leftie, causing even more smudging. We recommend you hold your pen far enough back from the point (1 – 1.5 inches is a good benchmark)

Choose the Right Equipment

Some pens are particularly well suited for left handers, and in some cases were specifically designed for this use.

Fountain Pens

Fountain pens present the biggest challenge for lefties, since nibs are generally cut for right handers. Only a few brands produce nibs dedicated for the left hander, which are cut in the opposite direction.

The revolutionary Yoropen has a kink in the pen acting as a finger support, providing the visual space for the lefty. The grip can also be rotated to allow for a more optimal writing position.

“Philip is in a Year 3 class and is left handed and used to hold his pencil awkwardly. It took a while to get used to the (Yoropen) grip but in the end Philip is now holding his pencil correctly…..The quality of his work has greatly improved and it is now much neater. Philip likes the fact that he can read what he is writing” - Laura Barnett

This ingenious design from Lamy makes it easier access more ink as the bottle empties. The black plastic base conceals a divot in the glass bottom, allowing the nib to sink deeper into the ink during refilling and maintain suction at lower levels. All three colours of this Lamy ink are washable, and they’re suitable for use with any fountain pen.

It's hard to say if it would be appropriate because there are no left handed nibs for the Hemisphere. However, we do have left handed customers who have sent us good feedback on the standard medium nib.

If a standard medium nib will be appropriate for you, really depends on how you hold your pen. Some find it works for them, whilst others may struggle. The medium reverse oblique available on the Parker Sonnet is supposed to be the best Parker nib for a left hander, or if you purchase a Lamy fountain pen, you can select a specific left handed nib.